Fluid-power rotary drive



March 24, 1931. w. M. hBLJcHl-:R

FLUID POWER ROTARY DRIVE 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 l Filed Sept. 25

INVENTOR .BUCHER ATTORNEYS MICh 24, 1931- w. M. Bum-IER FLUID POWER ROTARY DRIVE Filed Sept. 25, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR W.M. BUCHER www@ ATTORNEYS Patented Mar. 24, 1931 unirse STATES YWALTER M. BCHER, OF MARVISTA, CALIFORNIA FLUID-POWER ROTARY DRIVE Application filed September 25, 1929. ,Serial No. 395,073.

vMy invention is a power fluid and rotary drive which inay be used for a variety of purposes and is illustrated in connection with a drive for a vehicle.

An object of inyinventionis the construction of a .fluid power rotary drive in which a hydraulicfluid such as oil pumped under pressure is forced outwardly from the axis of rotation of a wheel to blades on the inside of the periphery and the return flow of the .fluid is from the blades to the axis of rotation.

A further object ofiny invention is therefore to have a complete cycle of operation utilizing the hydraulic fluid over and over again and the reaction of the fluid against the blades rotates the wheeland such wheel may be used for a. variety of purposes such as supporting and driving a vehicle or for trans- .niitting power.

A fuither obj ect of Iny invention is the construction of a wheel having a fixed axle housing with the wheel rotating thereon, the wheel housing having provisions for the flow of hydraulic fluid under pressure to fixed conduits, such conduits extending outwardly in the wheel towards the periphery and discharging against vanes or blades arranged internally of the periphery of the wheel. The fluid after reacting onthe vanes is discharged into a returnipassage which conducts the fluid bach to the axle housing and thence again tothe pump.

A further object of my invention is to have a movable valve in the axle housing so that on shifting of this valve the hydraulic fluid may be forced through either of two separate setsof conduits to rotate the wheel in a forward or a backward direction, or in which the valve may be turned to a neutral position allowing a kby-pass flow of the fluid directly back to the pump without operating on the vanes. By this construction-the wheel may be driven in opposite directions or may reniain stationary.

Anotherobject of rny invention is in the handling of the fluid thrown outwardly in the vanes by a centrifugal actionand causing this centrifugal action to drain thecspace between adjacent vanes of the fluid yforced there- ,in from the nozzles connected with the chiots .and allow a free return of such fluid uninfluenced by centrifgual action back to the axle housing.

A still further object of my invention is in the provision of return passage for the hydraulic fluid, first from between the vanes,

Vthese being closed where the vanes are acted for the fluid where such fluid is not influenced by centrifugal action due to rotation '.ofrthe wheel.

Other minor features of my invention will appear from the descriptionand claiins. My

invention .is illustrated yin the drawings, in

which Figure 1 isa side elevation .of a partly bro ren away wheel in various sections, Iexposing the interior construction of the-wheel;

Fig. 2 is a partial section on .the lline 2 2 of Fig. 1 in the direction of the arrows;

.Figa Sis a-vertical sectionfsubstantially on the line' 3 3 of Fig. f1 inthe directionof the arrows; v

Fig. 4 is a plan of the puinp .and control valve shifting yinechanisni partly broken away, taken in the general direction of ,the arrow i of Fig. 5

Fig. 5 is a vertical section'on the line l5---5 of Fig. 4 inthe direction of the arrows.

In the drawings l illustrate a fixed laxle housing 11. his has an angular oil retainer ring 12 mounted thereon. A fixed tube 13 is secured to the axlehousing by a :key 14 there being an opening 15 through the axle .housing connecting with anopening 16 through the hub. Theseopenings are on the top portion of the housing and the hub. A fixed structure 17 is carried by the hub,rthis .having inner walls 18 and 19 which are attached .to flanges 20 such flanges being .integral with the hub. Outer walls 21 and 22 are connected to the inner walls by stay bolts 23 Aandby welded flanges24; or thelike acentthelhub. Adjacent the upper portion of the wheel the inner walls 18 and 19 are provided with a rim and with a cover plate 26 attached to the rim.

This cover plate has an outwardly bent rim section 2.7 extending partly around the wheel 'for a purpose hereinunder detailed; this upwardly extending portion being omitted at the 'iai-ts designated 28 and 29 or the wheel. it the bottom portion oi' the wheel there is a plate-like rim which merges into the cover plate 26 at the bottom. At the top of the wheel there are converging walls 31 which lead from substantially the line of the rim 25 to the opening 16 in the hub and 15 in the axle housing. The outer walls 21 and 22 are secured to the inner walls by stay bolts 82; some et these being connected to the rim 25 eing connected to the cover plate 26. The outer walls each have an inwardly turned iiange The rotor mounting designated generally at 34 utilizes anti-friction bearings 85 which are illustrated as having a stationary roller race 36 iitted on the axle housing, rollers 3T and a rotary race 88. The rotary wheel structure designated generally at 89 has two annular rings'40 and 41 which are parallel to the axle housing and in which the rotary races 38 tit, there being ilanges 42 on the inner side. F lat rings 43 and extend outwardly from the ring 41 and to these are attached inner and outer disks 45 and 46 the attachment being illustrated as by bolts 47. The rotor and its bearings are held in position on the axle housing by a nut 48 screwed on the housing and bearing against a washer 49. EL cover cap 50 connects the ring 44 on the outside of the wheel and covers the open end 51 of the axle housing. There is a telt ring 52 between the inner ring 43 and the oil retaining angular ring 12.

The outer part of the rotor or wheel 58 has a rim or felloe 54 attached thereto and connecting the opposite disks 45 and 46 there are stay bolts 55 having a spacing sleeve 56. This elloe has an annular groove 57 to Jfacilitate attaching a tire rim or the like. The vanes or blades 584used in the propulsion of the device extend inwardly from the felloe 54. The space between two adjacent rims be designated as a bucket 59. Atthe outer portion of each bucket there is a small tube 60 extending outwardly through bucket forming rings 61`Vwhich extend around the telloe on each side of the blades. These small tubes 60 have their open ends covered by the portion 27 ot the blade 26 and exposed at the cut away sec.- tion 28 for a purpose hereinunder detailed.

The control valve designated generally by e axle housing. this having one port 64 which opens upwardlv towards the opening 15 oic the axle housing and has two lateral ports 65 diametrienllv opposed and each of these ports communicated with a fluid conduit or duct 66, these extending in diametrically opposite directions. Each has two curved nozzle sections 67 and 68, the nozzles discharging hydraulic fluid into the buckets to strike the varies.

A tubular valve stem 69 is mounted at one end in the valve housing 62, this being secured in position by a nut 70 attached to the outer part of the stem. Such stem has a port 71 which is adapted to register with either of the lateral ports 65 for driving the wheels or the by-pass port 64 which discharges into the axle housing. The space in the upper part of the wheel between the inner lixed walls 18 and 19 and the sloping walls 81 may be designated as a return iuid chamber T2. The walls 18 and 19 of this chamber are provided with outlets 73 adjacent their periphery discharging into the flat annular passage 74 between thel stationary inner and outer plates 18 and 19, 21 and There are also exhaust openings '75 through the flanges 2O and the inner porion oi the walls 18 and 19. As the ixed strucure having the walls 18 and 19, 21 and 22 is on the i'luid in the space 74. There are also a series of outlet openings 76 in the outer walls 21 and 22 adjacent the inner portion and these are arranged in alignment with the openings T7 in the flat ring 44 connected to the rotor disks 45 on the outside portions of the wheel. The openings 76 discharge into the annular space 78 between the outer lixed walls 21 and 22 and the rotary disks 45 and 46.

.90 not rotatable, there is no centrifugal actionY The pump assembly designated generally at 79, employs a pump housing 80 properly secured at a center portion of the axle housing 11, the housing therefore being stationary and having a pump casing 81 therein which pump has a rotary gear pump 82 mounted therein, there being an inlet port 83 into the sump 84 and a discharge port 85 into the central space 86. The pump is illustrated as being connected midway ot the ends of the axle housing 11, it being presumed that there are two axles on this housing, both for driving the vehicle.

rlhe control of the valve utilizes the rotary hollow valve stems 69, each of these being illustrated as having a head 87 in the space 86 of the pump with packing 88 and a pack ing gland 89 to prevent leakage. Each of the stems 69 is provided 'with a gear 90 which meshes with a slidable rack 91. These racks have guide rods 92 extending through guides 98 in the pump housing and lead to any suitable control. It will be seen therefore that by reciprocating the'rods and hence the racks, that the hollow stems 69 may be rotated to bring their ports 71 into alignment with either of the lateral ports 65 discharging to the nozzles or to the by-pass ports 64 discharging into the axle housing.

In the operation of the device, presuming fin vplate 26. `the nozzles'the fluid is confined in the buckthe hydraulic fluid from the pump is being pumped vthrough the hollow spindles 69 and through one of' the ports 65 as indicated in Fig. l, then the hydraulic fluid followsI the direction of the curved nozzle and impinges on the buckets and the vanes of the buckets of the rotor of the wheel; thus giving a driving action against the vanes and rotating the wheel in the direction of the arrow 94 of such Fig. 1. The main portion of the hydraulic fluid after exhausting its force driving against the vanes, flows into the chamber 7 2 between the inner walls 18 and 19 and the sloping walls 31 and is thence discharged into ythe hollow axle `housing and hence returns to the pump, flowing into the sump 84. In addition the hydraulic fluid ymay flow outwardly through the openings in the inner walls 18 and 19 adjacent lthe hub, thence through the openings 76 inthe outer walls and the openings 77 in the inner part ofthe ring le with which the cover 50 is secured and hence through the open endof the axle hous- -ing to the pump.

There the'hydraulic fluid impinges on the vanes and buckets, the ends of the small'tube 60 are closed by the portion 27 of the cover Therefore immediately adjacent The centrifugal action of the rotating buckets in addition tends to force this fluid centrifugally outwardly and when the tubes 60 are successively opened when they reach the cut out section 28, the lfluid therein is freely discharged into the space 74; between the outer parts of the inner walls 18 and 19 and the outer walls 21 and 22 ofthe stator part of the machine. Thus this liquid is not subiected toa centrifugal action and ilowsfout either through the openings 76 and 77 or 75 and back to the axle housing. It is obvious that by reversing the valve action that the wheel may be driven in the opposite direction to that shown in Fig. 1 and when the fluid is discharged through the Aports 64, there is no driving action.

Various changes may be mac e in the principles of my invention without departing from the spirit thereof as set forth in the description, drawings and claims.

I claim:

l. A fluid power rotary drive comprising a stator element having fluid ducts discharging in a general upward direction, having main fluid discharge passage and auxihary i'luid discharge passages at the sides of the main passage, a rotor having a series of buckets with vanes opening inwardly adapted to receive the fluid discharged from the ducts, the waste fluid from the buckets being in part discharged through the first passage to the main passage and means in the buckets to discharge the residual fluid into the auxiliary passages.

Q. A fluid power rotary drive comprising in combination a stator element having a central fluid supply with ducts having nozzles discharging in a general upward direction,the stator having a main return passage leading downwardly and discharging into central return passage, a rotor hafing a series oi. buckets with vanes opening inwardly and rece'ving fluid from the nozzles, the wasy fluid from the buckets being disch-alfred d wn- 2D wardly by gravity through the said passage.

connected to said structure, a stator element having a plurality of ducts having nozzles connected to said valve to discharge liquid in opposite directions and in a general upward direction, the stator having al main return passage converging downwardly through t ie sides to the axle housing, a rotor element rotatable on the axle housing and having a plurality of buckets with venes opening inwardly, the buckets receiving the liquid discharged from the nozzles and being adapted to be driven in opposite directions depending on the position of the valve.

5. A fluid power rotary drive as claimed in claim l, the valve having ineans to discharge the supply fluid into the axle housing and giving a by-pass return to eli ii the drive on the rotor.

6. A fluid power rotary drive as claimed in claim Il, the rotor having openings P freni the buckets on opposite sides and the stator having cover plates extending over said openings from positions in which the buckets receive the fluid from the nozzles toa discharge position of the buckets and there being annular kpassages in the stator to receive the liuid discharged by the openings in the buckets l. A fluid power rotary drive comprisinQl 'c `nate 1 `therein converging downwardly Considered in a peripheral direction to the said opening in the housing, a rotor rotating onthe housing and having a plurality of buckets with vanes opening inwardly, the nozzles discharging into said vanos, means to rotate the stem to discharge fluid in either sets of ducts to rotate the rotor in opposite directions, the waste fluid from the buckets discharging downwardly through the said main discharge passage.

8. A fluid power rotary drive as claimed in claim .7, the stator having outer walls extendino' in a circle and forming annular passages between the outer and inner walls., said walls having openings and the rotor having outer walls i h openi gs, a cover connected to the outer walls of' t i and bridging ar opening in the end trie rotor on one axle housing, the buckets hm ing o with means on the stator to form a l for said openings adjacent the disch:

the nozzles, the said latter openings bein opened for the inajor portion of a circle to discharge fluid by centrifugal force into passages between the inner and outer walls of the stator.

9. A fluid power rotar,7 drive compi-isi a stator element having means to su; K, power fluid and means to convey the waste fluid, rotor element laving a series buckets opening inwarcly, the supply fl being discharged into buckets, the main portion of the waste lluid being discharged downwardly, the buckets having open gs and a stationary covering for said openings adjacent the place of discharge of the power fluid into the buckets, the said openings being uncovered for a portion of the rotation of such buckets, whereby the residual fluid may be discharged by centrifugal force.

1G. A fluid power rotary drive having a stator with means to supply a power flnid having discharge nozzles and means for the return of the waste fluid and having auxiliary lateral passages for centrifugally discharged waste fluid, a rotor element having a series of buckets opening inwardly, the nozzles discharging into said buckets, the main waste supply dropping from the buckets into a main return passage, the buckets having openings, a stationary element forming a closure for the buckets adjacent the place of discharge of the nozzles, the openings being uncovered for a portion of' their revolution and the residual waste fluid being adapte( to discharge through the openings into lateral return passages.

ll. In a fluid power rotary drive, a stator element having a pair of inner disk-like walls and a pair of outer disk-like walls, there being a space between said walls Jfor discharge of waste fluid, ducts in the stator having discharge nozzles, a rotor element having outer disk-like walls on opposite sides and spaced from the outer walls of the stator, a series of buckets on theV rotor -opening inwardly, the nozzles discharging into said buckets, the main waste from the buckets being adapted to discharge between the inner walls of the stator and waste fluid discharged by centrifugal force through openings in the bucket being adapted to discharge through passages between the inner and outer walls of the stator.

l2. In a fluid power rotary drive as claimed in claim l1, the stator walls being secured at their inner portion to a hollow axle housing, said housing having a valve connected to a source of liuid supply, the valve being adapted to discharge into at least two diflerent nozzles to rotate the rotor in opposite directions, the rotor having a. rotatable mounting on the housing.

13. A Huid power rotary drive coinprising hollow axle housing, a tubular valve stem extending through said housing and having a valve at one end, means to rotate the said stem to direct the fluid in the valve in different directions, there being ducts with discharge nozzles forming part of a stator element, a rotor element rotatably mounted on the housing and having a series of buckets opening inwardly, the said nozzles being positioned to discharge into the buckets above the axle housing and the stator having a return downwardly converging passage to the axle housing for the main waste fluid from the buckets, each of the buckets having at least one opening adjacent the bottom of the bucket, a curved plate secured to the stator and forming a closure for said openings adjacent the point-s of discharge of the nozzles, said plate being cut away to expose the said openings during part of the rotation of the buckets and return passages in the stator to the axle housing for fluid discharged by centrifugal action from the buckets.

ln testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specication.

VALTER M. BCHER.

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